TonyHancock
Senior Member
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2010
- Posts
- 5,673
- Qantas
- LT Gold
- Oneworld
- Emerald
Whilst the debate, and fight, rages between Amex and its customers over the 2019 Great Points Devaluation I find myself locked in an almost continuous dispute with a Customer Service Department that is day by day wearing down my will to live. Apparently, so I am now told, when you renew your charge card you get the option to select the masochism button - which I clearly did - by mistake - my ingrained cowardice usually keeps me well away from that sort of thing. 
As my finger hovers above the mouse to hit the "Submit Complaint" button on the AFCA site I am reflecting upon what has brought me here. This particular complaint is the straw that broke the camel's back....although this straw is probably the biggest of all of the recent straws. (Mmmmmmmm not sure this idiom is working at all well!!)
On a sunny day in November seven transactions were made on my Plat charge card, all to Spotify, one at $0.99, one at $11.99 and five at $143.88. I reported them on the 19th November and was told that they had been made on an old card in my history and was given the last five digits of the card. Thinking nothing more of it, and quite frankly celebrating that I didn't have to use my Dremel Multitool* to destroy my current card, I settled into a rather fabulous Dry Martini (6 oz Coates Navy Strength Gin waved in the general direction of Italy.) I thought nothing more of it.
A week or so later I noticed that only five of the transactions were in the dispute process and a follow up call established that two had been missed off by the ever vigilant Amex Fraud squad. A day later I noticed one had been closed.
The rather helpful chap at Amex told me that Spotify had provided an invoice so it was a legitimate transaction. "Mmmmm^" I said. I had sent Griselda to the loft the previous day to uncover all of my Amex statements for the last 20 years and, whilst it had taken her all day, she did manage to ascertain that the card used for the fraudulent transactions had been replaced in 2012.
So how does one get into the business of using withdrawn cards from years ago with expiry dates going back to Queen Victoria's reign to make brand spanking new transactions? (I am careful with these words because I can sort of see how recurring fees may crop up this way, although six years is quite a while ago.)
Even allowing for the original fraud I can't get my head around why this was not picked up when reported, it is absolutely glaring. I am also wondering how successful at preventing/clearing up fraud at Amex might be if IQ was one of the requirements for employment.
As an aside and reported elsewhere I have experienced the following in the last six weeks.
Incorrect points allocation for overseas transactions
Failure to provide the details to the fix to the above!! (third request in now)
Incorrect points allocation for local transactions
Failure to credit commission charges on overseas fraudulent charges (despite letters confirming this was done)
Failure to call back on five occasions - looking likely to be six today.
Amex was my sure fire, absolute, cast iron, go to card. Up until about six months ago I could only report how good my experiences were - in the last six months it has been awful and I do wonder if there are some serious systems issues as well as just very poor customer service.
*How else to you cut up these new fangled metal cards?
^Or something like that.
As my finger hovers above the mouse to hit the "Submit Complaint" button on the AFCA site I am reflecting upon what has brought me here. This particular complaint is the straw that broke the camel's back....although this straw is probably the biggest of all of the recent straws. (Mmmmmmmm not sure this idiom is working at all well!!)
On a sunny day in November seven transactions were made on my Plat charge card, all to Spotify, one at $0.99, one at $11.99 and five at $143.88. I reported them on the 19th November and was told that they had been made on an old card in my history and was given the last five digits of the card. Thinking nothing more of it, and quite frankly celebrating that I didn't have to use my Dremel Multitool* to destroy my current card, I settled into a rather fabulous Dry Martini (6 oz Coates Navy Strength Gin waved in the general direction of Italy.) I thought nothing more of it.
A week or so later I noticed that only five of the transactions were in the dispute process and a follow up call established that two had been missed off by the ever vigilant Amex Fraud squad. A day later I noticed one had been closed.
The rather helpful chap at Amex told me that Spotify had provided an invoice so it was a legitimate transaction. "Mmmmm^" I said. I had sent Griselda to the loft the previous day to uncover all of my Amex statements for the last 20 years and, whilst it had taken her all day, she did manage to ascertain that the card used for the fraudulent transactions had been replaced in 2012.
So how does one get into the business of using withdrawn cards from years ago with expiry dates going back to Queen Victoria's reign to make brand spanking new transactions? (I am careful with these words because I can sort of see how recurring fees may crop up this way, although six years is quite a while ago.)
Even allowing for the original fraud I can't get my head around why this was not picked up when reported, it is absolutely glaring. I am also wondering how successful at preventing/clearing up fraud at Amex might be if IQ was one of the requirements for employment.
As an aside and reported elsewhere I have experienced the following in the last six weeks.
Incorrect points allocation for overseas transactions
Failure to provide the details to the fix to the above!! (third request in now)
Incorrect points allocation for local transactions
Failure to credit commission charges on overseas fraudulent charges (despite letters confirming this was done)
Failure to call back on five occasions - looking likely to be six today.
Amex was my sure fire, absolute, cast iron, go to card. Up until about six months ago I could only report how good my experiences were - in the last six months it has been awful and I do wonder if there are some serious systems issues as well as just very poor customer service.
*How else to you cut up these new fangled metal cards?
^Or something like that.
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